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Preparedness Tip: Low Tech Data Storage

April 3, 2012 by

How many of the phone numbers that in your phone do you have memorized? I’m ashamed to say I have less than five. Truth be told, memorization has never been a strong point of mine. Before cell phones, I used to keep a folded 3×5 card with all of my important phone numbers written down and stuffed in my wallet.

Do you have a hard copy of the phone numbers or any other important data that is saved on your phone? What would happen if you lost your phone or it was stolen? Could you easily get those numbers or data back?

I am going back to my low tech solution as a backup. I’ll be writing phone numbers down and putting that 3×5 card back in my wallet.
 
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Natural Ways to Kill Bugs and Weeds

April 2, 2012 by

Natural ways to kill bugs and weeds

Many of us are trying to grow gardens naturally, without herbicides and pesticides. This leaves us with the challenge of taking care of weeds and pests. Here are some natural things you can do to get rid of both. (I didn’t use the word organic, because the word can mean different things to different people.)
 
 
Stop Weeds Before They Start

By using a heavy layer of mulch, you can often prevent weeds from starting in the first place. When I was a kid, we used newspaper and black plastic. The newspaper works but often blows away. The black plastic works if you weigh it down with rocks. That is, until a hole is made, then weeds pop up through the hole. A reader shared a website called Back To Eden. This man uses wood chips for mulch and has great success. There is a video in which he describes how God revealed this method of gardening to him, which is how things are naturally and were in the Garden of Eden. The video is 90 minutes long, but worth watching.
 
 
Options for Killing Weeds

If you only have one or two weeds, pulling them from the root should take care of it, then just add it to the top of the mulch pile or toss it in the garbage.

You can pour boiling water on them as close to the root as you can. I have done this with some success on weeds that were growing on the outside of the raised beds. It’s hard to judge how much water you should pour, so I probably poured more than I needed to, but I wanted them dead.

The USDA Agricultural Research Service Scientists have proven that household vinegar mixed with water can kill weeds. Mix the two in a spray bottle and coat the leaves of a weed. Use caution as it will kill plants as well.

Coat weeds with soapy water; mix 5-6 tablespoons of dish soap with a quart of water. Spray the weeds thoroughly and yes, you guessed it be careful not to get any on your plants.

Insects can do an amazing amount of damage quickly, so it’s important to be paying attention to your plants. If you see an insect and you’re not sure what it is, identify it first to make sure you’re not killing a beneficial insect. Below are a few different methods for dealing with unwanted insects.
 
 
Hot Sauce

This is an idea I heard Jack Spirko from The Survival Podcast talk about. It’s been a while, but I think he said to get the hottest pepper you can from the grocery store, chop it up into small bits, add it to a spray bottle and add water. Let it sit overnight. In the morning, go out to your garden and look for the culprit. Spray a little firewater on him and his friends. Jack said this shouldn’t harm the plant in any way, but said to use it sparingly and avoid spraying the beneficial insects in your garden.
 
 
Create Habitat for Beneficial’s

Once you have identified a bug, instead of treating every bug as you see them, you can attract its natural predator. This could mean planting some flowers or plants that you might not normally grow. Here is a page that has information on using beneficial bugs as natural pest control.

You could also build habitat for insect eating birds. This, however, is a little more involved than just plating a few flowers.

Birds need a place nearby where they can perch and scan the garden for predators. Whether it’s a bird house or just a fashioned perch near the garden, either should be fine.

Birds are attracted to moving water. If you already have a birdbath, you could add a bubbler for $30-$40. If you don’t have a birdbath, you could look at a fountain instead. It doesn’t need to be huge or elaborate.

You could also add a bird feeder to sweeten the deal, and target the kind of bird you want in the garden, by using feed they love.

There are websites you can buy beneficial insects from, but if you don’t have the habitat for them, they won’t stay around for long.

I also listed several gardening resources that list some of the books I have on dealing with weeds and unwanted insects naturally.

Do you have any natural ways of dealing with pests or weeds?

 
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Filed Under: General Preparedness Tagged With:

The Rule of Threes

March 30, 2012 by

I’ve discussed these rules before, but thought it would be a good idea to cover them again, for those who might have missed them. You can use these rules in a survival situation to help you decide what your biggest danger is.

The average human can last:

3 seconds without oxygen to the brain
3 minutes without oxygen
3 hours without shelter in poor weather
3 days without water
3 weeks without food

There are a couple of examples that I have seen added that I don’t much care for, they are:
3 seconds in a violent attack.
3 months without human contact.

I understand the sentiment, but the others are actually provable while these two are speculative.

Lasting the length of time of any of the rules won’t be easy. After a day without water, you’ll feel rotten. I haven’t done an extended fast, but I’m told after a certain amount of time the hunger pangs slow down, but until then, you’ll feel weak, cranky and have limited energy.

 
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Filed Under: General Preparedness, Mind Set, Preparedness Tips

Keeping Cool Without AC

March 29, 2012 by

Keep cool without AC

Many people are surprised to find out how hot and muggy it can get in Minnesota. With temperatures of 90+ degrees and humidity levels of “AreYouKiddingMe”, it can get quite uncomfortable here. I also spent some time in the south when I was in the Navy. I can’t imagine dealing with 110+degrees, day after day.

In case you haven’t guessed, I don’t like the heat. I don’t tolerate it well. A/C is an easy fix, but what if you have to be outdoors, or if for some reason A/C isn’t available? Here are some tips for staying cool in the heat.
 
 
Clothing

Wear loose fitting, light colored clothing.

It might sound counterintuitive, but wear long sleeve shirts and a hat. The sun directly on your skin will heat you even more.

Wear clothes made of cotton as it wicks heat away from your body. This is the reason the phrase “Cotton Kill” exists. When the phrase is used, it’s usually in cold climates.

If you wear a hat, get it wet and put it back on. A bandana can work for this as well.
 
 
Liquids

In hot weather, you need to increase your liquid intake. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty. When you’re active, you should be drinking 16-32 ounces of water an hour.

If your urine is anything but clear, you are dehydrated and need to rehydrate ASAP.
Avoid beverages containing caffeine as it promotes dehydration.

Water is a great source to stay hydrated, but many people don’t like water. There are additives such as powdered Gatorade that can flavor water and add electrolytes at the same time.

Put a water bottle in the freezer. When you go outside, take it with you. As the ice melts, you’ll have cold water to drink.
 
 
Food

Avoid using the stove, as it will just add more heat.

Eat cold foods; fruits and vegetables are a good idea.

Eat smaller meals but eat more often. The larger the meal the more metabolic heat your body produces to digest it. The same applies to drinking very cold water; it can actually heat you up because your body quickly reacts to warm the water to core temperature.

Eat copious amounts of ice cream. (Sorry about that, the little kid in me took over for a second.)
 
 
The Body

The body radiates heat from the head, hands and feet. Getting these areas wet will aid in cooling.

When I was in the Navy, on a cruise to the Gulf, they told us to eat more salt on our food, to help the body retain water. It’s true that we lose salt and minerals when we sweat. These salts and minerals need to be replaced. A sports drink will often work. Check with your doctor before going this route.

If outdoor work must be done, do it in the morning or evening. Avoid being out in the sun in the hottest part of the day.

Put a bottle of lotion in the fridge. Squirt some on and rub it into hands and feet. (I have never tried this, but it sounds like a decent idea.)

By placing a cool water bottle between your upper thighs or in your armpits, you will cool the blood. Don’t use ice cold as this could be a shock to your heart.

A similar principle is to get a bandana wet with cool water and wrap it around your neck, head or wrists.

Take frequent cool showers or baths.

Use a Chillow ® Pillow cooling device.
 
 
The Home
If you have a basement, the temperature there is often 10-15 degrees cooler. My home is a four level split. I would say each level is at least 5 degrees cooler than the one above it.

Keep your curtains or blinds drawn. If possible, have the outside of the blinds or curtains be light in color. This will reflect heat back outside. Dark colors will increase the temperature. This would be a good idea in the colder times of the year.

I have not done this but have heard that it works; hang a damp sheet in place of your drapes. To go with the drapes suggestion from above, use a light colored sheet.

Another thing that I have heard of but haven’t tried is spraying your roof with water. The heat evaporates the water, leaving the roof cooler. Here are several other passive cooling techniques.

 

Don’t Forget Your Pets
Keep plenty of cool water available.
Make sure they have shade available to lie in.
Some of our dogs love chewing on ice cubes.

 
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Filed Under: Preparedness Tips

Preparedness in an Apartment

March 28, 2012 by

Preparedness in an apartment is a challenge for a few reasons.  Space limitations are one of the obvious reasons, but there are also safety aspects to consider.  There can be challenges for growing your own produce as well.  It’s been years since I lived in an apartment, so please speak up in the comment section if you have anything to add.
 
 
 Location, Location, Location

Here are some things to keep in mind when looking for an apartment.  Housing costs are big and leases are often 6-12 months long.  That’s a long time to pay for a place you hate.

If possible find the crime rate in the surrounding area. One tool is Crime Reports.com.  It might not list every crime committed, but it can give you a rough idea of the crime rate of the area.  You can also call the non-emergency number for the local police department of the area you’re looking at.  Ask to speak to the Community Resource Officer.  If they don’t have one, explain what you’re looking for to the person who answered the phone.

If you don’t have a washer and dryer in the apartment, find out if there is one available in the building.  Even if there is, find the nearest Laundromat.  You never know when someone else will be doing laundry at the same time you want to. I think this is related to preparedness because laundry can be expensive.  You can make your own laundry soap to save some money, to put toward your preps but the machines can take money.  Try to find out who lives in the apartments around the one you’re looking at.  Knowing who your prospective neighbors are might give you peace, or warning as to whether you should move in or not.
 
 
Security

If you have the perfect location, with a low crime rate, security might be less of a concern, but don’t get complacent.  Here are some tips to keep you and your property safe.

Apartments on the ground floor are the easiest to access, for you and for someone trying to break in.  My ideal apartment would be one with two or three stories and live on the top floor.  Then you don’t have to listen to people walking above you, and you’re not so far up that you can’t get out a window in an emergency.

If you have expensive “toys”, make sure they are in a non-descript box when you move them into the new apartment.  For the same reason, be aware of who is outside your door when you go into your apartment.  Often people may try to get a peek at what you have inside and it’s none of their business.

Don’t blindly buzz anyone in.  Criminals have been known to buzz everyone, hoping someone just lets them in.

Make sure you lock the balcony door.  I had a drunken roommate forget his keys once and climb up to our balcony on the second floor to get in.  If he could do it in his altered state, someone with bad intentions could easily do it too.

Before you move in, make sure any damage is documented.  You could end up paying for it if you don’t.  If they say they know about it, get that in writing.  I’ve been burned this way.  Make sure the locks have been changed since the last person moved out.

I’ve heard of two home-invasions that took place in apartments within 30 miles from where I sit, within the last six months.  If you get a firearm for home defense, a shotgun with #4 shot will work just fine and will penetrate walls less than a handgun or rifle.  If you are averse to guns or can’t have one, find something you are able to use in self-defense and are comfortable with and make it available.
 
 
Space Limitations

Because of space limitations, you need to get creative about how you approach storage and do so with a clear plan.  For instance, when I started prepping I bought a few 50 pound bags of rice, repackaged them in Mylar bags and placed the Mylar bags in food grade buckets.  I have plenty of storage space in my basement so this was no issue.  However, if I lived in an apartment, I would now be taking up half a closet with 150 pounds of rice and have no room for anything else.

As with people in a house, you should store what you eat and eat what you store.  You just have less space to do it with.  Do a survey of your apartment, looking for areas that could be used for storage.  Under the bed is a good option.  You can raise a regular bed a few inches and get some extra room.  There are also plastic totes made for under the bed storage.

Any closet, no matter the size often has wasted space.  Many have one shelf but there is often room for another above it or on the door side, above the door.  There is often a lot of wasted space from the floor to the bottoms of clothes.  Even if you put shoes in there, you might still be able to squeeze in a small shelf unit.  The closet is probably the safest place to make changes and store food, as it’s out of sight.

It’s not realistic to store a 55-gallon barrel of water in an apartment, but it’s not impossible to store enough for a week or two.  Keep a case or two of water bottles or the large plastic containers that hold 2.5 gallons in a closet or under a bed.

Another option is to put your LTS (Long Term Storage) food that is in Mylar in a 30 gallon metal garbage can.  If you have the food in Mylar, it doesn’t matter if you use food grade buckets, as the food won’t touch anything but the Mylar.  I’ve done this and you can fit a HUGE amount of food in one can, versus the same space that four 5 gallon buckets take up.
 
 
Food Production

Growing food in an apartment is absolutely more difficult.  You have limited space and, depending on the direction of your windows, limited sun.  This just means that as with storing food, you need to be creative and intensely manage what you do have.  I wasn’t a prepper when I last lived in an apartment, but here are some methods I have read about that others have successfully used.

Container gardening can be done with great success.  You have to pick the right size container for what you’re going to grow.  Because you have limited space, you may want to plant things that produce heavily, such as tomatoes or something you can do multiple cuttings of, such as broccoli or lettuce.  If you plant something like radishes, you can probably do a couple of plantings a season, but the volume that is produced is less.

If you have a balcony, you could use the “Topsy Turvy Upside-Down Tomato or Strawberry Planter” to grow tomatoes and straw berries.  You can also make use of vertical space with the PVC Trellis I described in the linked article.   If you spray painted it the same color as the siding of your apartment building, it won’t be such an eye sore and will draw less attention.  An herb garden can be grown in a windowsill as long as it gets some sun.  It and other containers can be moved to a different window to chase the sun.

See if there are community garden plots available.  If so, you can often rent one for a few dollars for the season.

Another possibility might be to grow on the roof of your apartment.  You would have to haul all of the wood and dirt up there, but it might be an option if building management is agreeable.

If you are simply not able to grow any food, you can still visit local farmers markets and buy produce to preserve.  Always make sure you have room to store it before you start.

 
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Filed Under: General Preparedness

License Plate Security

March 27, 2012 by

This preparedness tip comes from my cities police monthly newsletter; I’ll paraphrase

With gas prices raising some, some nasty people have been known to steal other people’s license plates, fill their tanks at the gas station and drive off without paying. The surveillance cameras capture only the stolen plate number. To prevent Mr. Dirtbag from stealing your license plates, you can install security screws. They’re cheap, easy to install and available at most hardware and auto supply stores.

 
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Filed Under: Preparedness Tips, Security

Our Government is Watching

March 26, 2012 by

Instead of the article I had planned on posting today, I want to talk to you about something that The SurvivalBlog shared on Friday. James Wesley Rawles, the owner of The SurvivalBlog, made a post called The FBI’s Cookie Caper and the VPN Imperative.

Here is the first paragraph from that post:

“It has come to my attention that from August of 2011 to November of 2011, the FBI secretly redirected the web traffic of more than 10% of SurvivalBlog’s US visitors through CJIS, their sprawling data center situated on 900 acres, 10 miles from Clarksburg, West Virginia. There, the Feebees surreptitiously collected the IP addresses of my site visitors. In all, 4,906 of 35,494 selected connections ended up going to or through the FBI servers. (Note that this happened several months before we moved our primary server to Sweden.) Furthermore, we discovered that the FBI attached a long-lived cookie that allowed them to track the sites that readers subsequently visited. I suspect that the FBI has done the same to hundreds of other web sites. I find this situation totally abhorrent, and contrary to the letter of 4th Amendment as well as the intent of our Founding Fathers.”
 
 
My Take

This saddens me. I agree with Mr. Rawles that this is an infringement on the 4th Amendment. This is not the first time the government has spied on prepper’s. Some examples can be seen in the article FBI & Homeland Security Caught Spying on Prepper Sites.

My guess is that the government is viewing prepper’s as the “fringe” that might be in our niche. The truth is that the vast majority of us are not extremists, ready to take action against anyone or anything. Most prepper’s and/or homesteaders are simply people who want to be prepared to take care of their families in times of trouble. We are patriots who love our country and do not want to depend on our government.

Mr. Rawles gives some examples of things you can do to increase your privacy when on-line. I will be doing some, if not all, of these things. If you take his suggestion of using the “VPN”, it will be an added expense. I intend to look at it as another preparation and hope you will too.

I checked my analytics and found a few visits from The Department of Homeland Security, as well as a few other government agencies. PreparedChristian is a pretty small fish in the preparedness site niche, so I don’t know that any of you were tracked, but there is a chance.

Some of you may decide to go “off grid” and no longer visit preparedness sites. I decided before I started PreparedChristian that I might draw attention to myself. I felt called by God to start this site and will keep posting for those who want to read and keep this community growing.

Some of you might be thinking “So what? If you have nothing to hide, let them look.” I have heard this argument from many on other infringements before. I used to have a similar argument. I then studied our founders and the spirit that our nation was created under. Our founders rebelled against an over-reaching king. I am not saying we should rebel, but I am saying that this is over-reaching by our government. I also agree with Mr. Rawles when he says:

“How you vote and how you “vote with your feet” (physically or virtually) are both of tremendous importance. Pray hard. Choose wisely. Act accordingly.”

 
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What is Caching?

March 23, 2012 by

Have you ever heard of caching?  I don’t mean geo caching, which is somewhat similar, but not quite the same thing.  Caching is most often burying supplies in a water proof container in a low traffic area in the event you might need them in a future emergency.
 
 
Why Would Someone Cache?

I can think of a couple different reasons; first let’s say that you own a few widgets and you think that someday someone might make widget ownership illegal.  You might decide that you think you won’t want to give up your right to own widgets and decide to bury them as a method of hiding them.  Another reason you might cache is to use it as a resupply source.  If you have a BOL (Bug Out Location) and think you may have to walk to it, you might find strategic points along the route where you might need to resupply and bury a cache there.
 
 
 Where Should Someone Cache

The goal is to have it not be found except by you.  If you decide to cache, you’ll want to do so in an area that doesn’t get a lot of traffic and is not easily seen.  For example, if you are going to put a cache near a popular hiking trail, you’ll want to bury the cache a good distance from the trail.  You’ll also want to take into consideration what is around the area you decide to cache.  If you’re in the middle of a large forest, then you’re probably safe.  But if you’re near a housing development, you might find your cache built over if the development expands.
 
 
While it is possible to cache under water, I don’t recommend it.  First it’s not easy, you have to weigh the container down and possibly tie it to an anchor of some sort.  Second you have to be absolutely sure the container won’t leak.  You can use materials that are waterproof and apply caulking to keep water out, but can you guarantee it will last for years?  Third, if the water table lowers, your cache could be seen and looted. Fourth, retrieving it quickly could be difficult, especially if you live in an area where the water freezes.
 
 

What should Someone Put in a Cache?

This would depend on why the individual would be caching.  Some ideas that I have are foods that do not go bad, such as honey, rice, pasta that has been stored in Mylar with O2 absorbers and a means to purify water.  One might also want to cache something to make fire, a small first aid kit, a firearm and some ammo, a knife, some currency such as dollars and maybe gold or silver.

Keep in mind that the goal here is for this cache to never be found.  That does not mean it never will be. Do NOT put anything in the cache that you cannot afford to lose.
 
 
How Should Someone Cache?

I have seen various tubes designed for caching.  They can be quite expensive.  PVC with end caps is much less expensive and works just as well if you use sealant on both ends.

Thoroughly document where you have placed the cache.  If you look for it even a year later, the area will have most likely grown over. 

Have a means to unearth your cache stored nearby as you cannot be certain that you will be able to bring a shovel with you on your return trip.  Hiding it in plain site could prove very tricky, so maybe bury it a foot or six inches below the surface.

Take a “plug” of topsoil containing grass and set it aside, dig the hole and put the cache in place.  Now put dirt over the cache and then replace the “plug”.  Have a plan for what you will do with all of the dirt you just displaced, leaving it there is a pretty good calling card.  If you take the extra dirt with you, with the “plug” back in its original place, this might nicely conceal the cache.

I cannot stress enough to be very careful where you choose to cache.  I have read stories of people going back to retrieve their cache and finding an empty container.  I have also seen stories in forums where someone found a cache while hiking.

 
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Filed Under: General Preparedness, Kits

Making the Best of Basics; Family Preparedness Handbook

March 22, 2012 by


Making the Best of Basics


 

Making the Best of Basics by James Talmage Stevens aka Dr. Prepper

From Making the Best of Basics.com

“Making the Best of Basics Family Preparedness Handbook , has been the all-time best-selling volume in the preparedness industry for almost 4 decades.   Book sales exceed 775,000 printed copies sold since 1974.

 Basics is truly a classic reference work in the preparedness industry!

 Now Revised in it’s 12th edition with more up to date information than ever before, Making the Best of Basics has been brought into the Digital age with a new CD-Rom version that is Cram Packed with more information than could have been possible in printed form.

 If you’re going to buy just one book to help you maximize your preparedness this is it!

 Making the Best of Basics Family Preparedness Handbook Digital Download is the no-wait/no-freight PDF version that provides immediate electronic access to the all-time, best-selling, single preparedness volume ever! Basics has  dozens of charts and tables to help you organize and improve your personal and family preparations!

 The Digital Download Book version has several advantage:

  • Many illustrations are in full color,
  • Active links go directly to additional resources to save your time,
  • Visible search index in left margin helps you access information quickly”

 My Take

There are some books in our niche that cover a wide range of topics and skills that I look at as a type of prepper “handbook”.  While you could, they aren’t necessarily the type of book you would sit down and read cover to cover.  They are, however, the type of book you would want to have “just in case”.  This is one of those books.  I mean, it even has “Family Preparedness Handbook” in the title.  LOL

It has something for every level of prepper, whether you’re just starting out and looking for help on what to do next, or have been prepping for years and want to see where you may have holes.  This book has many preparedness check lists, charts on many different types of preparedness/survival gear as well as a lot of recipes using storage food.  There is information to help you get prepared, as well as useful information if you are in a survival situation.

I own a hard copy of this book but like the idea of the PDF version as well.  If I was only getting one copy, it would be a hard copy.  The time you might need it is when the power is out.  You could get the PDF version and print out the pages you want to have a hard copy of.

I think this is one book that should be in your prepper library and I give it 5 stars.  The only drawback to this book is the price, but it is so loaded with information that I think it is worth every penny.

 

 
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Filed Under: Reviews

What Would You Do? Someone Needs CPR

March 21, 2012 by

 

You’re at the grocery store and the man stocking the produce grabs his left shoulder and then slumps to the ground, he does not appear to be breathing.

 So, what would you do?

(Check the comments section to see the answers from everyone as well as to add your own.)
 
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Filed Under: Medical and First Aid, What Would You Do?
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